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Monday, August 07, 2017

Looking towards space in the new Administration

The Trump administration requested $19.092B for NASA in FY18, essentially the same amount the agency has in FY17. The relevant House and Senate committees have approved significantly higher amounts. (About $19.5B in the Senate and over $19.8B in the House.) The issue has yet to go to a conference committee.
One of the bones of contention is science, which includes Earth science, which includes climate monitoring and climate change research. With this issue a political hot potato, The Predient and GOP Congressional leaders generally want a reduction in the science budget, but amounts vary enormously, as does controlling language about how the money can be spent.
The Administration is very much in favor of increased private participation and increased human spaceflight funding. The President at one point promised "American boots on Mars" during his second term. This probably is not doable even if the budget was unlimited, which it most certainly will not be. The Space Launch System and the Orion capsule which would be part of such a mission have not even flown.
The other touchy topic is NASA's Office of Education. The President requested only $37M for Education - just enough to shut down the office and most educational programs. While NASA education programs do include materials explaining and warning of climate change, the complete elimination of the office took NASA-watchers by surprise. Congress has put its collective foot down to block this move: the House wants $100M for education in the new year.
Some of this confusion exists because it's not clear who will run the agency or how oversight will work. The revised National Space Council (a good idea) has yet to meet, or to schedule a meeting: the Administration has not yet named its NASA Administrator. The President presented himself as a big fan of space exploration, especially human spaceflight, so it's quite puzzling the Administration has not even tried to fill the Administrator post.
On the positive side, the agency can rest assured it will not take an overall cut and will continue the Office of Education. On other matters, though, the space telescope image is rather murky. Here's hoping the officials involved get that straightened out and give the Agency a course to set.